In the production of wire-mesh web, for use as enclosures or the like, the reticulate or lattice-like web has mesh openings of square or rhomboidal configuration and can be composed of spirals having a pitch of about 45.degree. which are flattened and formed continuously from a wire in a machine for producing such mesh.
Using the mesh blade and worm, this wire is coiled into the spiral and feed transversely of the web while being rotated to interengage with a previously formed flattened spiral. The spiral length is cut at one edge of the web, once the spiral has reached the other edge, and adjacent spirals are twisted together at their free ends along these edges of the web or have their free ends hooked together or bent over one another to secure the spirals in place.
This sequence of operations generates a web of the chain-link fencing type in which the wire spirals have a zig-zag configuration with interengaged crests and troughs.
The operation is carried out at relatively high speed and the web of chain-link mesh passes out of the machine substantially continuously.
It is a common practice to roll up or coil these webs on coiling installations downstream of the mesh-making apparatus into rolls which are more easily handled, transported and stored than the flat or planar web produced in the machine.
In German printed application (Auslegeschrift) No. DAS 1 041 902, there is described a coiling device which comprises as its most significant part, a pair of driven rotary bodies in parallel relationship which are disposed transversely to the direction of advance of the web, i.e. athwart the web. The roll is formed upon these bodies and the peripheries of the bodies are provided with entraining formations to engage in the mesh of the web so as to bring about the coiling operation.
The peripheral speed of the rotary bodies is greater than the feed speed of the web so that the web is stretched tightly upon coiling.
The rolls produced by this process and apparatus are not especially compact and hence have the disadvantage that they occupy, for a given length of the web, relatively large volumes, thereby taking up considerable storage and transport space. When the mesh is coiled in a stretched condition, the successive spirals do not materially interfit.
It has been proposed to improve the packing density of such wire mesh and chain-link fencing by mechanically pressing the successive spirals together. In other words, instead of the band being stretched for coiling, it is condensed in length and assembled into balls with rectangular cross-section by folding (German Pat. No. 1,178,350) or into cylindrical rolls (German Pat. No. 1,552,156).
In the latter publication, the apparatus for coiling the mesh of chain-link fencing into compact rolls comprises a supply roller and a support for the mesh which is constituted by a movable endless flexible belt having an upper pass or stretch suspended between a pair of guide rollers.
As the web supplied from a substantially vertical plane over the feed roller engages the endless belt, the mesh rows are shoved together as a result of the reduced downstream speed of the belt and, because of the catenary shape of the suspended upper stretch, is coiled into the rolls.
Such rolls have indeed a greater packing density than the rolls of stretched chain-link fencing, although they still are not at a maximum compactness. The flattened wire spirals have their planes substantially tangential to the surface of the roll.
In addition, these rolls have the disadvantage that at least the outer turn of the web must be in a stretched state and fastened with wire to impart the requisite stability to the roll. Otherwise the turns tend to shift upon handling.
A further disadvantage of this coiling process is that special coiling apparatus is required which may not be available at the plants usually used to produce chain-link fence. As a consequence, capital expenditure is required for new equipment if the advantages of the more compact rolls are to be obtained.